Commonweal
@commonweal.bsky.social
A review of religion, politics, and culture since 1924, edited by lay Catholics. Subscribe here: http://commonwealmagazine.org/subscribe
Pinned
The November issue is here! Feat:
- Lauren Kane on St. Godric
- Alexander Stern on technology and deculturation
- An interview with Brandon Taylor
- The Editors on Leo & care for the poor
And more!
www.commonwealmagazine.org/issues/2025-...
- Lauren Kane on St. Godric
- Alexander Stern on technology and deculturation
- An interview with Brandon Taylor
- The Editors on Leo & care for the poor
And more!
www.commonwealmagazine.org/issues/2025-...
Amy Coney Barrett’s recent book ignores our national peril in favor of schooling readers on court and Constitution.
Kevin M. Doyle reviews:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/supreme-cour...
Kevin M. Doyle reviews:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/supreme-cour...
Supreme Courtliness
Amy Coney Barrett’s recent book ignores our national peril in favor of schooling readers on court and Constitution.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 25, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Amy Coney Barrett’s recent book ignores our national peril in favor of schooling readers on court and Constitution.
Kevin M. Doyle reviews:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/supreme-cour...
Kevin M. Doyle reviews:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/supreme-cour...
Reposted by Commonweal
And I'll take this opportunity to resurface something I wrote years ago, also for @commonweal.bsky.social, about our family's #Advent tradition, the Jesse Tree. Ten years on, it's still the most important thing we do to prepare ourselves for Christmas. www.commonwealmagazine.org/waiting-jess...
Waiting by the Jesse Tree
In the midst of pre-Christmas celebrating, it can be hard to convince my kids that Advent exists at all. But we have a secret weapon.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 24, 2025 at 4:36 PM
And I'll take this opportunity to resurface something I wrote years ago, also for @commonweal.bsky.social, about our family's #Advent tradition, the Jesse Tree. Ten years on, it's still the most important thing we do to prepare ourselves for Christmas. www.commonwealmagazine.org/waiting-jess...
"Globally, Advent calendars bring in $1.87 billion a year."
@heidischlumpf.bsky.social: Can Advent calendars stuffed with hot sauce, stuffed animals, and panties still stir feelings of anticipation and mystery?
www.commonwealmagazine.org/advent-calen...
@heidischlumpf.bsky.social: Can Advent calendars stuffed with hot sauce, stuffed animals, and panties still stir feelings of anticipation and mystery?
www.commonwealmagazine.org/advent-calen...
Advent Calendars Gone Wild
Can Advent calendars stuffed with hot sauce, stuffed animals, and panties still stir feelings of anticipation and mystery?
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 24, 2025 at 1:10 PM
"Globally, Advent calendars bring in $1.87 billion a year."
@heidischlumpf.bsky.social: Can Advent calendars stuffed with hot sauce, stuffed animals, and panties still stir feelings of anticipation and mystery?
www.commonwealmagazine.org/advent-calen...
@heidischlumpf.bsky.social: Can Advent calendars stuffed with hot sauce, stuffed animals, and panties still stir feelings of anticipation and mystery?
www.commonwealmagazine.org/advent-calen...
Reposted by Commonweal
"Cheever may well owe his daughter a belated apology. But admitting that doesn’t do much for those of us coming to this book hoping for new insights."
Anthony Giardina on Susan Cheever's latest book for @commonweal.bsky.social
www.commonwealmagazine.org/susan-john-c...
Anthony Giardina on Susan Cheever's latest book for @commonweal.bsky.social
www.commonwealmagazine.org/susan-john-c...
Hello (Again), My Father
Susan Cheever has made a kind of cottage industry of debunking her father’s carefully maintained image.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 23, 2025 at 7:23 PM
"Cheever may well owe his daughter a belated apology. But admitting that doesn’t do much for those of us coming to this book hoping for new insights."
Anthony Giardina on Susan Cheever's latest book for @commonweal.bsky.social
www.commonwealmagazine.org/susan-john-c...
Anthony Giardina on Susan Cheever's latest book for @commonweal.bsky.social
www.commonwealmagazine.org/susan-john-c...
Mark your calendars! On Thursday, December 4, join us at @columbiauniversity.bsky.social's Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary for a conversation between Roosevelt Montás and Adam Kirsch on reading and the good life.
RSVP here! www.commonwealmagazine.org/rootsdialogue
RSVP here! www.commonwealmagazine.org/rootsdialogue
November 21, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Mark your calendars! On Thursday, December 4, join us at @columbiauniversity.bsky.social's Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary for a conversation between Roosevelt Montás and Adam Kirsch on reading and the good life.
RSVP here! www.commonwealmagazine.org/rootsdialogue
RSVP here! www.commonwealmagazine.org/rootsdialogue
Reposted by Commonweal
Extrajudicial executions, extortionate tariffs, multibillion-dollar bailouts: the editors of @commonweal.bsky.social on Trump's thuggish, self-aggrandizing, know-nothing actions in Latin America
Trump's approach to Latin America is characterized by lies, the use of extortive and illegal force, corrupt influences, and know-nothing leadership.
The Editors: 'A Bully Abroad'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-editor...
The Editors: 'A Bully Abroad'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-editor...
A Bully Abroad
Trump's approach to Latin America is characterized by lies, the use of extortive and illegal force, corrupt influences, and know-nothing leadership.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 20, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Extrajudicial executions, extortionate tariffs, multibillion-dollar bailouts: the editors of @commonweal.bsky.social on Trump's thuggish, self-aggrandizing, know-nothing actions in Latin America
Trump's approach to Latin America is characterized by lies, the use of extortive and illegal force, corrupt influences, and know-nothing leadership.
The Editors: 'A Bully Abroad'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-editor...
The Editors: 'A Bully Abroad'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-editor...
A Bully Abroad
Trump's approach to Latin America is characterized by lies, the use of extortive and illegal force, corrupt influences, and know-nothing leadership.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 20, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Trump's approach to Latin America is characterized by lies, the use of extortive and illegal force, corrupt influences, and know-nothing leadership.
The Editors: 'A Bully Abroad'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-editor...
The Editors: 'A Bully Abroad'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-editor...
"There is another possibility latent in this feast: that our loyalty to Christ the King would supersede and check our loyalty to any ruler, any nation-state."
William T. Cavanaugh: 'No Kings But Jesus'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/william-cava...
William T. Cavanaugh: 'No Kings But Jesus'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/william-cava...
No Kings but Jesus
We are not simply Americans who have “No Kings.” We are Christians, who have no king but Jesus.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 19, 2025 at 1:21 PM
"There is another possibility latent in this feast: that our loyalty to Christ the King would supersede and check our loyalty to any ruler, any nation-state."
William T. Cavanaugh: 'No Kings But Jesus'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/william-cava...
William T. Cavanaugh: 'No Kings But Jesus'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/william-cava...
Reposted by Commonweal
Don't miss the the November issue of @commonweal.bsky.social, with articles by Theological Ethics faculty member Dr. Stephen Pope and Professor Emeritus Kenneth Himes, OF.M.
November 17, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Don't miss the the November issue of @commonweal.bsky.social, with articles by Theological Ethics faculty member Dr. Stephen Pope and Professor Emeritus Kenneth Himes, OF.M.
America needs a new grand strategy. If it wishes to be not just powerful but good, then Catholic social thought might be the place to start.
An essay by Andrew Latham:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/grand-strate...
An essay by Andrew Latham:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/grand-strate...
Toward a Catholic Grand Strategy
America needs a new grand strategy. If it wishes to be not just powerful but good, then Catholic social thought might be the place to start.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 18, 2025 at 2:41 PM
America needs a new grand strategy. If it wishes to be not just powerful but good, then Catholic social thought might be the place to start.
An essay by Andrew Latham:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/grand-strate...
An essay by Andrew Latham:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/grand-strate...
Reposted by Commonweal
'Today, the traditionalist movement is still small, but less marginal than it was in the 1970s, and its geographical center of gravity has shifted from French-speaking Europe to the United States. Its normalization relies on, and parallels, the crisis of faith in our liberal and democratic systems.'
"The refusal to declare enemies to the right, both in politics and in the Church, has produced a sorcerer’s apprentice effect."
@massimofaggioli.bsky.social explores the state of Catholic traditionalism:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/catholic-tra...
@massimofaggioli.bsky.social explores the state of Catholic traditionalism:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/catholic-tra...
Catholic Traditionalism After Francis
Traditionalism today is less about questioning Vatican II theology and liturgy and more about waging broader culture wars.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 16, 2025 at 6:29 PM
'Today, the traditionalist movement is still small, but less marginal than it was in the 1970s, and its geographical center of gravity has shifted from French-speaking Europe to the United States. Its normalization relies on, and parallels, the crisis of faith in our liberal and democratic systems.'
Should popes be limited to five-year terms?
Paul Lakeland: The question should not seem ridiculous.
www.commonwealmagazine.org/lakeland-pop...
Paul Lakeland: The question should not seem ridiculous.
www.commonwealmagazine.org/lakeland-pop...
Why Should Jesus Weep?
The recent history of papal corruption and controversy raises the question: should popes be limited to five-year terms?
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 16, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Should popes be limited to five-year terms?
Paul Lakeland: The question should not seem ridiculous.
www.commonwealmagazine.org/lakeland-pop...
Paul Lakeland: The question should not seem ridiculous.
www.commonwealmagazine.org/lakeland-pop...
"The refusal to declare enemies to the right, both in politics and in the Church, has produced a sorcerer’s apprentice effect."
@massimofaggioli.bsky.social explores the state of Catholic traditionalism:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/catholic-tra...
@massimofaggioli.bsky.social explores the state of Catholic traditionalism:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/catholic-tra...
Catholic Traditionalism After Francis
Traditionalism today is less about questioning Vatican II theology and liturgy and more about waging broader culture wars.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 16, 2025 at 1:40 PM
"The refusal to declare enemies to the right, both in politics and in the Church, has produced a sorcerer’s apprentice effect."
@massimofaggioli.bsky.social explores the state of Catholic traditionalism:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/catholic-tra...
@massimofaggioli.bsky.social explores the state of Catholic traditionalism:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/catholic-tra...
Reposted by Commonweal
Good reporting and analysis here from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social. What still feels lacking to me is an emphasis on Catholic doctrine, not just emotions. The Church's teaching has a LOT to say about what justice requires when it comes to respecting immigrants' human rights. I want them to teach it.
The USCCB released a statement in support of immigrants—but its failure to mention Trump and ICE undermines its welcome message.
Analysis from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/bishops-stat...
Analysis from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/bishops-stat...
Bishops’ Statement on Immigration Falls Short
The USCCB released a statement in support of immigrants—but its failure to mention Trump and ICE undermines its welcome message.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 14, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Good reporting and analysis here from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social. What still feels lacking to me is an emphasis on Catholic doctrine, not just emotions. The Church's teaching has a LOT to say about what justice requires when it comes to respecting immigrants' human rights. I want them to teach it.
The USCCB released a statement in support of immigrants—but its failure to mention Trump and ICE undermines its welcome message.
Analysis from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/bishops-stat...
Analysis from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/bishops-stat...
Bishops’ Statement on Immigration Falls Short
The USCCB released a statement in support of immigrants—but its failure to mention Trump and ICE undermines its welcome message.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 14, 2025 at 12:13 PM
The USCCB released a statement in support of immigrants—but its failure to mention Trump and ICE undermines its welcome message.
Analysis from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/bishops-stat...
Analysis from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/bishops-stat...
Reposted by Commonweal
@paulbmoses.bsky.social on Paul Elie's latest for @commonweal.bsky.social
November 12, 2025 at 5:05 PM
@paulbmoses.bsky.social on Paul Elie's latest for @commonweal.bsky.social
Reposted by Commonweal
My review of @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social's "beautifully written riverine tangle" - "Is a River Alive?" & James Scott's "In Praise of Floods" is in this month's @commonweal.bsky.social.
www.commonwealmagazine.org/vincent-mill...
www.commonwealmagazine.org/vincent-mill...
Thinking with Rivers
In the face of the awesome and lifegiving power of rivers, human beings may be the real terror.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 12, 2025 at 6:20 PM
My review of @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social's "beautifully written riverine tangle" - "Is a River Alive?" & James Scott's "In Praise of Floods" is in this month's @commonweal.bsky.social.
www.commonwealmagazine.org/vincent-mill...
www.commonwealmagazine.org/vincent-mill...
"What kind of people do we have to become in order to achieve peaceful cities, societies, and states?"
Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins revisits William James's prescription for national conscription www.commonwealmagazine.org/conscription...
Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins revisits William James's prescription for national conscription www.commonwealmagazine.org/conscription...
Conscription for Peace
What peaceful equivalent of war could generate the same sense of urgency and solidarity? William James had an answer.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:26 PM
"What kind of people do we have to become in order to achieve peaceful cities, societies, and states?"
Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins revisits William James's prescription for national conscription www.commonwealmagazine.org/conscription...
Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins revisits William James's prescription for national conscription www.commonwealmagazine.org/conscription...
It's not just about theology, writes @massimofaggioli.bsky.social. Catholic traditionalism today is about a Christianist agenda driving American politics. www.commonwealmagazine.org/catholic-tra...
Catholic Traditionalism After Francis
Traditionalism today is less about questioning Vatican II theology and liturgy and more about waging broader culture wars.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 12, 2025 at 7:47 PM
It's not just about theology, writes @massimofaggioli.bsky.social. Catholic traditionalism today is about a Christianist agenda driving American politics. www.commonwealmagazine.org/catholic-tra...
Artists like Bono, Warhol, and Madonna sparked controversy in the 1980s for using religious images and motifs. Now, Paul Elie's new book recovers the artists' side of the story.
@paulbmoses.bsky.social reviews 'The Last Supper'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/saints-city
@paulbmoses.bsky.social reviews 'The Last Supper'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/saints-city
Saints in the City
In ‘The Last Supper,’ Paul Elie tells the stories of artists whose struggles with their own religious beliefs amid the AIDS pandemic inspired often-controversial art.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 11, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Artists like Bono, Warhol, and Madonna sparked controversy in the 1980s for using religious images and motifs. Now, Paul Elie's new book recovers the artists' side of the story.
@paulbmoses.bsky.social reviews 'The Last Supper'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/saints-city
@paulbmoses.bsky.social reviews 'The Last Supper'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/saints-city
In 1998, the Christian right was at a crossroads. Tragically, it took a path leading into the arms of Donald Trump.
John Fea: 'Roads Not Taken'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/roads-not-ta...
John Fea: 'Roads Not Taken'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/roads-not-ta...
Roads Not Taken
In 1998, the Christian right was at a crossroads. Tragically, it took a path leading into the arms of Donald Trump.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 7, 2025 at 1:57 PM
In 1998, the Christian right was at a crossroads. Tragically, it took a path leading into the arms of Donald Trump.
John Fea: 'Roads Not Taken'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/roads-not-ta...
John Fea: 'Roads Not Taken'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/roads-not-ta...
Reposted by Commonweal
From @commonweal.bsky.social: Recovering Our Vision of the Poor
‘Dilexi te’ against MAGA’s effort to disappear the vulnerable
‘Dilexi te’ against MAGA’s effort to disappear the vulnerable
Recovering Our Vision of the Poor
The Trump administration defends a radical inversion of Christian teaching on poverty.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:39 PM
From @commonweal.bsky.social: Recovering Our Vision of the Poor
‘Dilexi te’ against MAGA’s effort to disappear the vulnerable
‘Dilexi te’ against MAGA’s effort to disappear the vulnerable
"'The Lord,' the psalmist proclaims, 'hears the cry of the poor.' We, by contrast, have lost our hearing."
Terence J. Sweeney on MAGA, Pope Leo, and recovering our vision of the poor:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-poor-l...
Terence J. Sweeney on MAGA, Pope Leo, and recovering our vision of the poor:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-poor-l...
Recovering Our Vision of the Poor
The Trump administration defends a radical inversion of Christian teaching on poverty.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
November 6, 2025 at 1:57 PM
"'The Lord,' the psalmist proclaims, 'hears the cry of the poor.' We, by contrast, have lost our hearing."
Terence J. Sweeney on MAGA, Pope Leo, and recovering our vision of the poor:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-poor-l...
Terence J. Sweeney on MAGA, Pope Leo, and recovering our vision of the poor:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-poor-l...
Reposted by Commonweal
I wrote about the decline of inner life in the latest issue of @commonweal.bsky.social
www.commonwealmagazine.org/inner-life-t...
www.commonwealmagazine.org/inner-life-t...
November 5, 2025 at 6:23 PM
I wrote about the decline of inner life in the latest issue of @commonweal.bsky.social
www.commonwealmagazine.org/inner-life-t...
www.commonwealmagazine.org/inner-life-t...
Join us tomorrow!
commonwealmagazine.org/rootsdialogue
commonwealmagazine.org/rootsdialogue
THIS THURSDAY: 'Why Write?'
Film critic @alissawilkinson.bsky.social will be in conversation with poet Micheal O’Siadhail at Columbia's Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary.
RSVP here!
events.columbia.edu/go/Commonwea...
Film critic @alissawilkinson.bsky.social will be in conversation with poet Micheal O’Siadhail at Columbia's Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary.
RSVP here!
events.columbia.edu/go/Commonwea...
November 5, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Join us tomorrow!
commonwealmagazine.org/rootsdialogue
commonwealmagazine.org/rootsdialogue